Cornea Related Issues

Cornea and External Disease

The sub-specialty of Cornea and External Disease refers to the medical and surgical management of the full range of complex and high-risk corneal and external eye diseases. The cornea is the clear, dome-like structure on the front of the eye through which we see. Corneas can be damaged through inflammation, degeneration, allergies, infections, injuries and inherited dystrophies. External disease refers to conditions of the conjunctiva and eyelids that affect the function of the eyes themselves.

What are common corneal and external disease conditions?

The corneal can be affected by a wide range of conditions including:

Dry eye

Infections such as cornea ulcers caused by bacteria, viruses and other causes

Allergic conditions

Auto-immune conditions

Hereditary conditions

Herpes zoster (shingles) and herpes simplex infections

Growths and tumors

Scarring following trauma and complications from prior eye surgery

External disease conditions encountered include:

Blepharitis

Atropic Conjuctivitis

These conditions can cause significant symptoms of ocular irritation and pain, and can lead to significant vision loss

Medical treatment of corneal and external disease conditions

There are a wide variety of medical treatments for corneal and external disease conditions, ranging from over the counter artificial tears of different types to prescription medications to specially formulated eye drops made only by compounding pharmacies. Other non-surgical treatments include special bandage contact lenses made of amniotic membrane tissue to heal and protect the cornea as well as punctal plugs for dry eye.

Surgical options for corneal and external disease conditions

Quigley Eye Specialists’ Emmanuel Kai-Lewis, M.D. is a surgical specialist in Cornea and External Disease, as well as cataract / lens implant surgery and complex surgical procedures involving the anterior segment of the eye. If you require corneal surgery, you will be in good hands with Dr. Kai-Lewis.

Dr. Emmanuel Kai-Lewis is fellowship trained in advanced surgical management of corneal conditions such as complete corneal transplantation and, DSEK and DMEK which are two types of inner-layer corneal transplantation procedures, He also performs advanced amniotic membrane procedures and anterior segment reconstruction procedures.